In 2022, Africa received approximately US$44 billion in large-scale climate finance. While this may seem significant, only 10% of this funding came from within the continent itself, with the remaining 90% reliant on international sources. This heavy reliance on external funding can limit Africa’s ability to set its own climate priorities and respond to local needs. It also increases vulnerability to shifts in donor agendas, making long-term, locally driven climate solutions harder to implement.
Africa’s Funding Needs vs Reality
This reliance on external finance exposes a critical vulnerability. Africa’s estimated climate finance needs of up to US$250 billion annually by 2030 far exceed current funding levels. The gap highlights the urgent need to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation to ensure African priorities are met, rather than relying on donor-driven agendas.
The Risk of Excluding Grassroots Voices
The dominance of international funding also risks sidelining grassroots voices the very people most affected by climate change. When the majority of finance is controlled externally, decision-making often happens far from the communities facing floods, droughts, and other climate impacts. This distance can lead to interventions that are poorly adapted to local realities, ignoring cultural, social, and economic nuances that shape successful implementation. Projects may also prioritise donor agendas over community priorities, resulting in solutions that are less effective, unsustainable, or even counterproductive. Exclusion of grassroots perspectives can perpetuate existing inequalities, as vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and marginalised rural populations may not have a say in shaping projects that directly affect their livelihoods.
In contrast, inclusive, locally informed approaches ensure that climate initiatives respond to real needs, foster community ownership, and promote long-term resilience. By ignoring grassroots voices, there is a risk of not only wasting resources but also eroding trust between communities and implementing institutions, undermining the very goal of equitable climate action.
Why Domestic Investment Matters
Boosting domestic climate finance is not just about money, it is about empowering communities, ensuring that local knowledge informs policies, and fostering climate solutions that are both resilient and inclusive. Domestic funding enable can African governments and local organisations to set their own climate priorities, invest in locally relevant projects, and create mechanisms for community-led monitoring and accountability. Strengthening homegrown funding sources is therefore essential not only for closing the financial gap but also for building trust, ownership, and long-term sustainability in climate action.
Author: Kennedy Simango
Research Analyst
